Ryoma's Motivation
by PurplMuffinXTRM
Summary: Ryoma disappears after practice and never attends their recommended but not required weekend practices. What happens when their weekend practice is required? Why does Ryoma refuse to go? What will Tezuka do?
1. Chapter 1

The Seigaku tennis club just finished their afternoon practice. The only ones left in the clubroom are the regulars.

"The district tournament is coming up," the captain, Tezuka, announces. "All regulars are required to go to Saturday practices."

"I can't," Ryoma deadpans immediately.

"Why's that?"

"Personal reasons."

"That is not acceptable." Tezuka stares him down.

"I don't care." Ryoma returns his captain's stare.

"Is it because of that boy you were with?" Momo questions Ryoma slyly.

"What?" Ryoma turns on his senpai in an instant.

"I saw you with a boy the other day. Is he from a different school? Is he your boyfriend?" Momo teases.

"That is none of your business!" Ryoma declares seethingly and storms out of the clubroom.

"What will you do, Tezuka?" Oishi asks in concern.

"If he misses too many practices without an acceptable excuse, he will be dropped from the regulars."


	2. Chapter 2

The following Saturday no one is surprised when Ryoma doesn't show up to practice. After practice the regulars decide to go out to lunch together. They're walking around town when they see him. Ryoma sits on a bench in the part with a small boy. The boy looks like Ryoma, green-black hair and golden eyes but smaller and paler. The regulars walk up to them.

"Is this the reason you can't come to practice?" Tezuka demands.

"I'm sorry," the boy speaks. "It's my fault. I didn't mean to get Ryoma in trouble."

"It's not your fault," Ryoma corrects him.

"Hey, this is the kid I saw you with before," Momo realizes. "Is he your little boyfriend?"

"No!" Ryoma outs defensively and jumps to his feet. Behind him the boy laughs.

"Really?" Momo teases. "There's nothing wrong if he is."

"He's not! So stop asking!" The boy's laughter is interrupted by a series of coughs. Ryoma is at his side in an instant. "You okay?" He rubs his back soothingly as the boy doubles over and continues to cough roughly.

When his coughing fit dies down the boy is left panting. He leans heavily against Ryoma. "I think it's time to go back, Ma-chan."

"Alright." Ryoma crouches down in front of the bench his back facing the boy. The boy reaches forward and wraps his arms loosely around Ryoma's neck. Ryoma holds onto the boy's legs and carefully stands with him on his back. Ryoma walks away without a word to his teammates. Of course, they follow him. "Do you mind?" He demands acidly.

"Ochibi, we wanna know what's going on!" Kikumaru whines.

"It's none of your business." Ryoma stalks off.

The boy giggles. "I think it's sweet." He looks back as best he can. "You guys are the regulars from Seigaku right? Ma-chan's told me about you."

"Really?" Fuji walks next to Ryoma and the boy. "How do you know Echizen?"

"Oh." The boy smiles. "I'm Echizen Yona. Ma-chan's my big brother."

"We're twins," Ryoma corrects.

"Wha?" Kikumaru runs forward to look at Yona. "Ochibi's twin brother!?"

Yona nods and looks ahead where Ryoma's walking. "Can you put me down now?"

Ryoma complies. Yona walks ahead of the group and turns into a building. Ryoma follows closely behind him. The others falter a bit as they realize the building is a hospital. They follow Yona and Ryoma through the halls of the hospital. Finally, they enter a room. Yona climbs onto the bed and shortly after a doctor walks in. "Hello, Echizen-kun. Are these your friends?"

"Something like that," Ryoma responds.

"Ah." The doctor turns to Yona and starts hooking him up to an IV. "How are you feeling today, Yona-kun?"

"Okay." He doesn't look as the doctor inserts a needle in his arm.

"I heard your brother took you to the park today."

"Yeah. It was fun."

"You really like the park, don't you, Yona-kun?" The doctor hooks him up to a machine.

"Yeah."

"All set. Toma-san will be in when you're done visiting."

"Alright." The doctor leaves the room. Everyone is silent for awhile not knowing what to say. Yona breaks the quiet. "So, what's it like playing tennis on a team?"

"It's interesting," Fuji states. "It's feels a bit different playing for a team than it does playing for yourself."

"Good different?"

"Yes."

"Have you played tennis, Yona-kun?" Taka-san asks.

"Yeah. Ma-chan and I used to play together a lot when I was stronger. We still do sometimes. Not as often as we used to though."

"Do you like tennis, Yona?" Momo questions.

"Yeah." Yona grins. "Ryoma and I used to say that we'd play at nationals together."


	3. Chapter 3

A female nurse walks into the room.

"Hello, Toma-san," Yona greets.

"Hello, Yona-kun." She smiles gently. "I'm sorry but visiting hours are ending. I'll give you a few minutes to say goodbye." She steps out of the room.

Yona frowns a little and Ryoma sighs. He hugs Yona tightly. "I'll see you Monday."

Yona nods and hugs him back. "Love you, Ryoma-ni."

"Love you too." Ryoma pulls away.

"Hey, Yona-chan," Kikumaru calls from his place next to the younger boy. "Is it alright if we come back sometime?"

"You really want to come back!?" His eyes light up with excitement and hope.

"Yeah. If you want us to?"

"Yes. Yes. Please come and visit again. Promise?"

"Definitely."

"Thank you!" Yona smiles wholeheartedly.

Kikumaru grins and ruffles Yona's hair. "We'll see ya later. Promise."

The nine Seigaku tennis club members leave the room. They walk out of the hospital in silence. Once they're a fair bit away from the building Ryoma turns on them. "You weren't lying to him right?" He demands. "You'll actually go and visit him."

"Yes," Kikumaru responds with utmost seriousness.

"Good." Ryoma turns around and keeps walking.

"You take visiting him seriously, don't you?" Inui questions.

"Yes. It's good for him to talk to more people. I'm the only one who visits him anymore."

"What about your parents?"

"They stopped. Now they only go see him about once a month."

"And how often do you visit him?"

"After practice I go see him for an hour or two and every Saturday I spend the whole day with him. Usually he's stuck in the hospital. But, every other Saturday he's allowed out. The hospital doesn't allow visitors on Sundays."

"So that's why you don't go to Saturday practices," Momo realises.

"Yes. Because I promised him I'd be with him for as long as he wants or as long as the hospital let's me on Saturdays. And I refuse to break my promise to him."

"What about the district tournament? That's on a Saturday." Oishi points out.

"It's on a day that he's allowed out. So, he plans on coming to watch."

"What's wrong with him?" Taka-san asks tentatively.

"Yona and I are identical twins. Except for as long as I can remember we've been anything but identical. He is physically weaker than I am and has spent most of his life in and out of hospitals. He was born with a heart defect. He's had surgery and a hundred other operations and different medicines but nothing has worked." Ryoma is visibly shaking. "I just want him to be able to live a normal life." Tears threaten to spill from his eyes. He looks at the ground so his older teammates won't see. "Is that too much to ask?"


	4. Chapter 4

Monday, after practice the nine Seigaku regulars walk to the hospital. They do this everyday for weeks.

The day of the district tournament arrives and Ryoma is nowhere to be seen. They manage to sign in with Horio disguised as the freshman regular. As the Seigaku tennis club stands together waiting, Horio is the first to spot him.

"Echizen!" Horio calls. "How can you be late for something like this!?"

Ryoma jogs up to the group. "Sorry," Ryoma apologizes. A boy that only the regulars recognize to be Yona slides of Ryoma's back. "It took longer to get here than I thought."

Today Yona is dressed in black shorts and a white polo with red stripes that looks suspiciously like Ryoma's rather than wearing his usual green hospital garments. He takes off Ryoma's tennis bag which he had been carrying for him and passes it to Ryoma.

"Ryoma-sama! Who's this!?" Sakuno's friend, Tomoka, demands.

"Hello." Yona smiles. "I'm Echizen Yona, Ryoma's little brother."

"Twin brother," Ryoma corrects. "And technically you were born first."

"So." Yona shrugs. Ryoma rolls his eyes.

The district tournament starts. Yona watches all of Seigaku's matches with excited eyes. He doesn't say much. Unless it's to Ryoma or one of the regulars. At one point he disappears for a short while. The regulars grow concerned. Ryoma is too but he refuses to show it. He remains stoic, sitting calmly in the place they last saw Yona awaiting the frail boys return.

"Where did you go?" Ryoma demands the moment his brother returns.

"Ah. Sorry." Yona rubs the back of his neck nervously. "I saw a friend and went to talk to him."

"A friend?"

"Yeah. He visits me at the hospital sometimes."

Ryoma sighs. "Next time tell me where you're going before you wander off."

"I will. Sorry."

The district tournament resumes (not that it ever really stopped.) Yona watches the games as he head before. Although this time with less excitement. He stares at the players impassively. He doesn't even make a move when Ryoma's racket breaks and hits the boy in the face. Although, a small smile crosses his face as Ryoma insists he can still play.

He pays for his impassiveness later as he joins the group for sushi. Ryoma is at the hospital getting his eye checked out after promising he'd meet Yona at the sushi shop when he was done.

"Do you even care about him?" Tomoka questions.

"What?" Yona looks at her confused.

"Tomoka, don't," Sakuno begs her friend.

"Ryoma-sama." Tomoka elaborates. "Do you care about him?"

"Of course. He's my brother," Yona replies still confused and not understanding where she's going with this.

"Then why didn't you do anything when he got hurt?" Tomoka grills him for information. The whole room grows quiet. Ryoma and Ryuzaki-sensei enter the shop. "You acted like nothing happened!"

"I have faith in my brother. I knew he'd be okay. Besides I've seen worse things happen during a tennis match."

"But, you-"

"That's enough," Ryoma hisses. "He answered your question. Now leave him alone." He glares at the girl. He sits down between Tomoka and Yona. Yona stares at him. Or more specifically stares at the eyepatch on his face. "I'm fine," Ryoma answers his brother's unspoken question. "Just damaged my eyelid." Yona nods.

The room returns to its previous chatter and chaos. Eventually, Yona falls asleep with his head on Ryoma's shoulder. A majority of the room smiles at the sight.

"I must admit, I am a bit curious about what Tomoka-chan was saying before." Fuji states after a while.

"It's not that he doesn't care," Ryoma is quick to explain and defend his brother. "He's just disconnected himself from that kind of thing."

"Disconnected?" Horio questions.

"But why?" Sakuno asks in quiet concern.

"My guess," Inui cuts in. "Is that he's used to it. It's how he deals with his own pain isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ryoma agrees. He gazes sadly at his brother's peaceful sleeping face.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I meant to post this last week along with Noise. Evidently, I forgot to. So it's here now.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC(s).**

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 **Rage0fPhoenix: I'm happy you think this story is awesome! *gives virtual muffin***

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It's a seemingly ordinary Sunday when it happens. The regulars meet up at the street tennis courts to practice. The only one missing is Ryoma.

"He said he'd be here," Momo complains.

"He doesn't meet Yona-chan on Sundays so he should be able to practice with us, right?" Kikumaru all but whines.

"Maybe he's in another part of the park," Oishi reasons.

They search the park. The more they search the more frustrated they get as they can't find their kohai. They're about ready to give up.

"There he is!" Momo exclaims. He points at Ryoma who has his back to them as he hits a tennis ball off a solid wall. Each swing harder than the last. The muscles in his left arm tensing more and more with each powerful hit. Tezuka walks up to him. He grabs his wrist stopping him from hitting the ball again. The ball bounces past them. Neither of them say a word.

"What are you doing?" Tezuka asks finally.

"What does it look like?" Ryoma retorts. He rips his arm out of his captain's grasp.

"You keep that up and you'll destroy your arm."

"I don't care." His grip on his racket tightens suddenly.

"But, don't you want to play at nationals?" Momo questions.

"It's not fair." Ryoma's racket falls from his hand and clatters on the ground. "It's not fair. Why-" His voice cracks. "Why is it always him?" He wipes the tears from his eyes. "Why can't Yona live a normal life? Why couldn't it have been me?"

"You really care about Yona-chan, don't you Ochibi," Kikumaru says more than asks.

"Of course. I'd do anything for him."

"I'm curious to know how far you'd go," Inui states analytically.

Ryoma clears his face of any remaining tears. He turns and looks Inui dead in the eyes. "I'd give up tennis if it meant Yona could live a normal life," he exclaims deadly serious. "But I know it won't. So, I'm going to make his dream come true. I'm going to win nationals for him."

"Then stop destroying your arm and let's practice."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC(s).**

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The Seigaku regulars grin as they hear Yona giggling in his room. Although their grins falter a bit upon seeing the oxygen mask next to Yona on the bed and a familiar third year sitting in the chair next to him.

"Hello!" Yona greets innocently.

"Monkey King," Ryoma states as he gives Atobe Keigo a hard look.

"Hello brat," Atobe returns the greeting.

"Ma-chan, you know Atobe-kun?"

"Somewhat. He's from Hyotei Academy. We're playing them in the first round of the Kantou regionals." Ryoma explains.

"Oh."

"I'm afraid I have to go." Atobe stands. "I'll come visit again, Yona-kun." He ruffles the young boy's hair.

"Did I do something wrong?" Yona asks as he leaves.

"No," Atobe states simply as he pauses in the doorway.

"You can be friends with whoever you want," Ryoma agrees begrudgingly.

Yona smiles. "Then I'll see you again, Atobe-kun?"

"Of course." Atobe leaves the room.

The Seigaku regulars enter the room the rest of the way. Yona takes hold of the oxygen mask and lifts it to his face. He holds it there for a few moments and breathes deeply as everyone gets settled in the room.

"How are you, Yona?" Fuji breaks the tense silence.

"I've been better," he replies as he removes the mask.

They chat for a while. They talk about everything and anything from tennis to Kawamura's sushi shop to the latest music Yona's discovered. Yona even pulls out his laptop and shows them a few Youtube videos. Sometime later there's a lull in the chatter. Yona breaks it with a simple question.

"Ryoma, would you care if I died?"

Ryoma's eyes are wide as he snaps his attention to the young boy. The other Seigaku regulars stare at Yona in shock. No one knows what to say or how to respond.

"What?" Is the only thing Ryoma can say.

"What would you do if I died?" Yona asks.

"It doesn't matter," Ryoma finally says. "Because no matter what we'll always be together. I'm going to make it to nationals and we'll be there together." He grabs his brother's hand tightly. "Even if it's only in spirit. We'll always be together. Isn't that what we've always said." Yona smiles and nods.

"Together forever," the two boys say in unison.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: It's been a while since I've updated. I've been packing and moving my stuff into my college dorm room. Trust me it's as boring as it sounds. Anyway, enjoy the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC(s).**

* * *

 **RageOfPhenoix: Glad you liked the last chapter. Warning: It's about to get sad. *gives virtual muffin***

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Ryoma doesn't show up to practice. The freshmen say they didn't see him in class. This repeats several times. Four days later, Ryoma shows up to morning practice. He walks onto the court as if nothing has happened.

"Where have you been?" Tezuka demands.

Ryoma merely shrugs. "Places."

"Fifty laps."

Ryoma takes off jogging around the tennis courts.

"Something doesn't feel right," Kikumaru mutters as he watches Ryoma trip over his own feet.

"That's odd," Inui comments as Ryoma trips again. "He's barely five laps in."

The third time he trips, Momo is at his side as he picks himself back up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine," Ryoma claims and starts running again.

Tezuka stops him. He grabs his arm making sure he can't get away. "You're not fine," the captain states simply. "What's going on?"

"It doesn't matter. We always knew it was going to happen."

"Knowing something is going to happen doesn't mean you won't be affected by it," Inui says matter of factly.

"Yona fell into a coma a few hours after we visited him last week. He's not waking up."

Tezuka lets go of his arm. "You shouldn't be running laps for that."

"It's fine. I don't mind. His funeral is Sunday. You can come if you want." Ryoma starts running again.

"Ochi-" Kikumaru is cut of.

"Don't," Fuji commands.

"But-"

"He's in shock. He needs to realize the reality of what happened himself."


	8. Chapter 8

That Sunday the Seigaku regulars stand with Atobe and the Echizen family at Yona's funeral service. When the service ends the Echizen family, minus Ryoma, leaves. Atobe expresses his sympathy with Ryoma and then leaves as well. The only ones left are the nine Seigaku regulars.

Ryoma falls to his knees in front of Yona's grave. Fresh tears roll down his cheeks. He doubles over on himself and sobs loudly.

"Ochibi," Kikumaru murmurs sadly, trying not to cry himself.

The sobs gradually die down but Ryoma doesn't move from his position.

"Echizen," the Seigaku captain starts. "You can take the next few days off from practice."

"No!" Ryoma exclaims. He lifts his head and stares determinedly at his brother's gravestone. "I'll be at practice tomorrow. I'm going to make Yona's dream come true. We're going to win nationals and I will stop at nothing less."

 **A/N: There is an alternate ending to this. You can find it on my profile. It's called 'A Chance At Life'.**


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